UK Government completes review of airport ground operations

Areas set out for the aviation industry to focus on to avoid a repeat of the travel disruption seen last summer.

The UK Government has recently outlined 10 focus areas for the UK aviation industry to have to ensure ground operations are back to full capacity, and the travel disruption of last summer won’t happen again. 

It concludes its review of the ground handling market, which the government committed to as part of its wider 22-point plan for tackling aviation disruption last June. The report finds that staffing shortages were a major factor in last summer’s disruption, with ground handlers struggling to recruit enough staff in time for the peak travel season, after COVID-19 restrictions were lifted and facing issues with onboarding processes.

“The misery passengers faced last year when their flights were severely delayed or cancelled at the last minute was simply unacceptable,” said Aviation Minister Baroness Vere of Norbiton. “We’ve made it clear that improvements can and must be made, so the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) are working closely with the industry to build a resilient ground handler market for years to come.”

Since then, the aviation industry has made significant progress to improve its resilience. To ensure this progress continues, the government has also proposed:

• Further exploration of improving how ground handlers’ performance is measured and monitored
• Better engagement between ground handlers and the government, including through the new Aviation Services UK trade association
• Continued support from the government and industry’s flagship Generation Aviation programme for recruitment, retention, upskilling and outreach
• Establishing a series of working groups involving airports, airlines and ground handlers to address areas including airport ID processes and performance standards.

Ground handlers undertake several activities including baggage handling, check-in, catering and refuelling. But last year as the industry began its recovery, companies were unable to meet demand.

Shortages of staff at airports, including drops in ground handler performance, had a domino effect on the rest of airport operations, causing delays and last-minute cancellations for passengers around the country.

While the aviation industry operates in the private sector, and is responsible for managing demand and resourcing, passengers should have the confidence the government is doing everything it can to help ahead of this summer season. With Baroness Vere meeting industry representatives to discuss Easter preparedness last week, it’s important that both the private sector and the government move in lockstep.

By focusing on these areas, the aviation industry, the government and CAA can build a sector that provides a world-leading service for passengers long into the future.